Aussterbende Berufe: Peter – Sattler und Polsterer

Früh wurde Peter von seinen Eltern zum Erlernen des Handwerks des Schuhmachers gezwungen, obwohl er sich lieber schulisch weitergebildet hätte. Lange hat er diesen Beruf dann auch nicht ausgeübt, sondern ihn bald nach Abschluss der Lehre an den Nagel gehängt. Sein Weg führte ihn direkt danach zu einer Anstellung als Busfahrer, einer Tätigkeit, die ihn sehr begeisterte.

Nach Eintritt in die Rente kam ihm aber sein ursprünglicher Lehrberuf wieder zugute. Nicht dass er zu seinen Leisten zurückgekehrt wäre, aber zum Umgang mit Leder und den entsprechenden Verarbeitungsprozessen. Die Nachfrage nach Reparaturkapazitäten für Polsterungen in Fahrzeugen und Kleinflugzeugen erschuf ihm ein neues Arbeitsfeld, dem er sich nun – noch mit über 70 Jahren – mit Hingabe widmet.

Berlin, 18. November 2020

Der Deutsche Bundestag beschließt im Plenung in letzter Lesung die Verabschiedung des 3. Infektionsschutzgesetzes (IfSG).  Damit einher geht die Aushebelung wichtiger Grundgesetze. Die Initiative #honkforhope hat zur großen Demonstration gegen dieses Gesetz aufgerufen. Und wieder sind tausende von besorgten Bürgern aus allen Altergruppen und Ebenen der Gesellschaft nach Berlin gekommen. Sie demonstrieren gegen die unverhältnismäßigen Maßnahmen der Regierung zur Eindämmung von Covid19. Doch auch der Staat hat sich gerüstet, mit einem mächtigen Polizeiaufgebot und Abriegelung des Regierungsbezirks. Das Aufgebot an Staatsmacht verdeutlicht die Angst der Regierung vor diesen friedlichen Demonstranten. Trotz konstanter Diffamierung und Ignorierung durch die Mainstream-Presse hegen diese jedoch keine Agressionen gegen Polizei und Andersdenkende. Herzen überwiegen in den Protestkundgebungen der Teilnehmer, auf Papier gedruckt, als rote Luftballons oder mit den Händen geformt. Die Antwort der Staatsgewalt ist der Einsatz von Wasserwerfern.

Ich habe beschlossen, dieser Demonstration beizuwohnen und bin schon am Vortag angereist. Von meiner Unterkunft am Plötzensee ist das Regierungsviertel relativ leicht erreichbar. Diese Bildserie zieht Bilanz von einem geschichtsträchtigen Tag: der Vergewaltigung der deutschen Demokratie.

Plötzensee, 09:00: Es ist kühl, der See liegt ruhig vor mir, die Welt scheint noch in Ordnung zu sein.
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The Curve

Mathematics says that the shortest way from A to B is a straight line. But in nature you hardly find any straight lines. The same applies to roads, at least outside of cities. There the roads and other ways accommodate to topography and other elements, and also consider that vehicles and other users of those ways don’t like to go all straight or in right angles. Thus the engineers design them in more or less bent curves. Or the vehicles or even the water take the way of the least resistance and thus also follow natural curves. That’s called the flow.
And finally, for our eyes it is also more pleasant to follow a curved line in nature then looking all straight. This we often attribute to harmony.
Curves we find everywhere, right around the corner. As mentioned above anywhere in nature, outside the cities. But even in old cities you will often find roads and paths following curved lines, because they resulted from traditional pathways before houses were constructed, or simply easing the way up the slopes.
Curves are not only a pleasure to our eyes, they sometimes can also be a kind of meditation for our mind.
The following small collection is a selection from my book “the curve”, which you can find here or buy directly here.

Morelos, Mexico
A mexican sheperd family walking through the forests
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Nürnberg zur Zeit des Corona-Virus

Gabriel García Marquez schrieb den berühmten Roman “Die Liebe in der Zeit der Cholera”. Wie zeigt sich da Nürnberg zur Zeit des Corona-Virus? Die sonst so geschäftige Stadt präsentiert sich da völlig anders. Dies einzufangen war mein Anliegen und ermöglichte mir einzigartige Ein- und Ausblicke. Die Leere gibt ein völlig anderes Gefühl des Lebens in der Stadt. Wie es wohl danach aussehen wird? Wieviele Geschäfte werden geschlossen bleiben oder bald schließen müssen? Wenn ich zuvor oft Beklemmung inmitten der Menschenmassen und Touristenströme erlebte, so kommen mir heute die Strassen und Plätze weit und einladend vor. Das Fehlen der Menschen inmitten der Stadt lassen jedoch auch Gefühle von Apokalypse aufkommen. Die Veränderungen danach bleibt es abzuwarten.

Lorenzer Platz
Auf dem Lorenzer Platz sind kaum Menschen
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Small businesses in rural Bangladesh

In late 2018 y had a mission to a remote area of the Sunderbarns of Bangladesh. On a weekend I could take advantage of my stay to stroll around the village. I wanted to take photographs of some colourful shops and workshops with traditional merchandises and handicrafts. As soon as their owners took notice of my interest in their shops they presented themselves proudly in midst of their space. Passers-by stopped and built an interested crowd observing the shooting. In some photos neighbours or other people sneaked into the scene to be part of the photograph as well.

Those people had no reservation at all to be photographed. Only in one case the owner of a tailor shop refused to be photographed because of his Islamic belief, which I respected.

Some of the photographs I took as HDR images and processed with Aurora and Luminar. This allowed me to penetrate into the depth of the sometimes dark interiors of the environments.

After having processed all images I asked a Bangladeshi colleague to produce print copies of each photo and hand it to the owners of the shops and workshops.

The Theth valley in northern Albania

Throughout several years the German technical cooperation supported the sustainable development and protection of areas in the Northern Alps of Albania. Among different activities the project supported the sustainable development of the Theth valley. This started to show increased interest among hiking tourists. The sudden increase of tourism provoked unplanned and unsustainable construction activities. Thus, the project developped in participatory communications a construction design code. This code took references on traditional architectural styles in order to maintain the typical aspects of this valley and avoid overconsumption of valuable natural landscape.

This photographic documentation shows the different fields of attention in form of five thematic posters.

Sustainable development in the Theth valley 2107

(Click on the image to open the album in a new window)

The Roma settlement Habesch in eastern Slovakia

Close to the eastern Slovakian town of Sekovce is a mall settlement of Roma families, called Habesch. This settlement was started with two blocks built for a couple of families; but by the years more and more families arrived and settled in small huts and houses built with available material. Official sides drew few attention and support to this location.

Some years ago a German initiative called Kellerladen e.V. from Cologne started to provide support for improving the local living conditions. This initiative is bringing in urgently needed goods and also built a small centre. In this location children and women receive support and training, especially to provide a better starting position for the kids.

In November 2019 I got the first opportunity to accompany one of the regular transports of goods to the Habesch. This is a first set of photos telling the story about life conditions in this settlement. Other stories will follow.

the Roma settlement Habesh

The Roma settlement Habesch is well separated from the town.

Nobody exactly knows how many people live in this settlement, is it 1500 or 3000? For sure more and more families arrive and build precarious houses. The settlement is clearly separated by cropland from the town. Nevertheless, some few families also settled in the town.

Housing

Older blocks are not enough, so precarious houses fill the space

In earlier times of this settlement two blocks were built for a number of families. But with arriving new families, lacking infrastructural planning, and lacking interest of official sides for integrating this settlement into the town, new housings are built wherever possible. The blocks are also looking run-down, but are some of the more solid living spaces.

The waterpipe

The only water caption is frecuented day and night

There is only one place in the whole settlement where the families can provide for drinking water. Women and kids line up with their buckets and tanks. This has to serve for drinking, cooking and washing. Its surely also the opportunity for a chat while waiting for the turn. Running the water day and night this place is busy all time, and also transforms the surface into a muddy field.

The main road

Precarious houses and huts along the main road

One main road is paved, the rest are muddy paths. Each family tries to establish its household with a minimum of privacy, according to availability of space. With arriving new families space is becoming scarce. The main square is not of their priorities. It is thus a garbage dump and more than often the playground for the kids.

Playground

Kids are taking advantage of the garbage dump

Children take their surrounding as it is. This girl is happy with a used tin and a piece of thrown-away bread. If all people would have thrown their garbage into the container it wouldn’t find its toys. Who’s win is this?

Clay

If dirt or trash, anything around stimulates the creativity.

Modern, hygienic and pedagogically valuable toys are rare. So kids play with anything that offers space for their creativity. In this case it is a simple clump of clay dragged out of the soaked soil.

Marine Protected Areas Management

The German Technical Cooperation supported some CARICOM states with the implementation and management of marine protected areas and the conservation of coastal biodiversity. The project supported various activities: administrative and technical improvement activities with various marine protected areas (MPA); the creation of new MPAs; the promotion and handling of turism; training of personnel; the sensitization of local population, including the youth; the addressing of environmental problems; and the training of fishermen and public employees in the sustainable use of the natural resources, among others.

This documentary is a collection of posters presenting the key issues of the project area.

Marine Protected Areas Management 2015

(Click on the image to open the album in a new window)

The orchestra in classroom / “Das Orchester im Klassenzimmer”

The educational initiative of the orchestra “Nürnberger Symphoniker” facilitates to school children the practical approach to instruments and musik. Thus, musicians from the orchestra go to schools and practice with kids on simple instruments and tools to produce sound. Some of the instruments derive from simple household tools, others from orchestra instruments. With this practice the kids engage in music making and group dynamics.

Das Orchester im Klassenzimmer 2010

(Click on the image to open the album in a new window)

Kids of Alto Napo / “Niños del Alto Napo”

With support of the German Cooperation and a local foundation, parents of a tiny village in the ecuadorian Amazon were receiving assistance for the realization of their projects improving their life. In 2003 I was invited to visit the project location and report about the project progress and outcome. The pictures show some project situations of this help-to-selfhelp project.

Niños del Alto Napo - a selfhelp project review 2003

(Click on the image to open the album in a new window)